ALBANY, NY – Mayor Kathy Sheehan has signed an Executive Order declaring Juneteenth a holiday in the City of Albany.
June 19, or Juneteenth, is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States and celebrates African American freedom and achievement. On June 19, 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, Union troops led by Major General Gordon Granger arrived at Galveston, Texas, to deliver the news that the Civil War had ended and that enslaved Africans were now free.
“Over the past several days, dozens of community members have reached out to my office requesting Juneteenth be recognized as a City holiday and I thank those residents for making their voices heard,” said Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan. “Juneteenth is a holiday that has become increasingly recognized in our community and it is necessary for our entire City to be aware of the importance of this holiday to our Black neighbors.”
The Executive Order signed by Mayor Sheehan directed the City’s Department of Administrative Services to provide City employees with one (1) additional floating holiday in accordance with the City’s Policies and Procedures Manual to be used during the 2020 calendar year.
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